This invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for containerized, high-speed, batch cooking of scrambled eggs. The method and apparatus of the present invention are intended generally for use in restaurants wherein it is desired to cook individual servings of scrambled eggs (consisting of from 1 to 8 eggs) in a very short time and without requiring the cook to continuously stir or manipulate the egg mixture. The method and apparatus of the present invention produces a scrambled egg product that is uniformly and evenly cooked and that is light and fluffy.
The conventional process which has been used for centuries is to scramble and cook small batches of eggs in frying pans or on a grill. There are no commercially available processes for cooking small batches of scrambled eggs that do not rely upon the use of a hot surface which both cooks and tends to partially scorch the eggs.
There have been attempts to produce scrambled eggs on a continuous basis where large quantities are required. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,230 to Robinson, Jr. discloses a method and apparatus for continuously producing a product which is said to have the appearance and taste of scrambled eggs from a continuously piped slurry. The method disclosed in the Robinson patent is limited for use in a commercial-type, in-plant process with a continuously moving slurry mixture and is not applicable to batch-type cooking of whole, shelled eggs in a container, as in a restaurant.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,024 to Stimpson et al. discloses a method of preparing an egg product in the nature of a smooth gelled mass of consistency, color and texture resembling a baked custard which is useful for the feeding of infants and invalids. The method is disclosed as a commercial-type, continuous slurry process in which high pressure steam is introduced into a pipe containing an egg mixture slurry to disintegrate the mixture into a spray-like condition and thereby instantly heat and cook the particles. As in the above-discussed Robinson patent, this method is not applicable to batch-type cooking of small quantities of whole, shelled eggs in a container.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,481,711 to Bemis discloses a method and apparatus for cooking eggs. The method and apparatus provides what may be considered a combination of a fried and poached egg. Steam is introduced to the top surface of the egg within a container to provide a "poached" upper surface while the bottom surface of the egg is fried on a griddle at the bottom of the container. The patent does not disclose a method or apparatus for making scrambled eggs.
The prior art teaches several processes for continuously treating or cooking egg products or egg mixtures with steam. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,872 to Jones et al. discloses a method for treating shelled eggs to destroy pathogenic bacteria, which method includes a step of admitting steam in sufficient volume to raise the temperature of the egg product to about 150.degree. F. This method is a continuous, "large scale" commercial method. U.S. Pat. No. 2,766,126 to Hawk discloses a method for producing a canned egg yolk puree by means of a continuous, commercial-type process which includes, in one of its steps, heating egg yolk by steam injection to between approximately 140.degree. and 160.degree. F. U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,035 to Stearns et al. discloses a method of manufacturing an omelette-type egg product in which one of the steps includes heating the egg mix by steam injection to a temperature in the range of 160.degree. to 170.degree. F.
In each of these patents, the disclosed method of treating an egg product involves commercial applications on a production line or continuous flow slurry process. None of these patents discloses a method for producing a substantially conventional "scrambled egg" product and none of the patents discloses a method or apparatus for batch-type, containerized cooking of individual servings of an egg product.
None of the above-discussed patents describes a method or apparatus for the high-speed cooking of scrambled eggs in containerized, small batches wherein the eggs are agitated and cooked in a sealed container at substantially atmospheric pressure.
None of the above-discussed patents teach or suggest how to rapidly cook individual servings of scrambled eggs on a batch basis and at substantially atmospheric pressure. It would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for making scrambled eggs in individual servings or in relatively small quantities for use in restaurants or in the home wherein the scrambled eggs could be rapidly cooked in a batch-type process in a small container and wherein the scrambled eggs could be automatically cooked evenly and uniformly.
It would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for making scrambled eggs wherein additives such as seasoning or other foods could be introduced into the egg mixture either before cooking or automatically during cooking.
It would be desirable to provide a method for automatically cooking scrambled eggs with steam rapidly and uniformly at pressures of less than 15 pounds per square inch gauge so that the apparatus could be used in the home and in restaurants without falling under the scope of the various state and local regulations covering higher pressure steam devices.
Further, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method for cooking scrambled eggs with steam in which the cooking process could be contained within a receptacle sealed from the surrounding atmosphere to prevent the steam, egg product, and any cooking gases from being dispersed into the atmosphere. To this extent, it would also be desirable to provide a vent system for exhausting all such steam and cooking gas vapors from the container or receptacle during the cooking process so that when the receptacle is unsealed at the termination of the cooking process, no large amounts of steam or other gases would be present in the container to escape into the atmosphere.
It would be desirable to provide a method of cooking scrambled eggs which introduces compressed air into the interior of the eggs during cooking to assist in providing a light and fluffy product.
It would be desirable in a method and apparatus for cooking scrambled eggs by steam injection in a container to provide a baffle within the container during the cooking process so that steam could be injected at a pressure sufficient to produce violent agitation for thoroughly and uniformly cooking the eggs, with the baffle inhibiting spattering of the egg mix upwardly away from the bottom of the container and thus maintaining the eggs in the lower portion of the container around the steam injection jets so that the mass of egg will be uniformly cooked.